Marriage in the 1970s: The Political Commissar's Contract Wife

By the pond, the water rippled with the last golden-red rays of the setting sun. Wang Chun squatted on the bluestone slab, vigorously scrubbing clothes, constantly sharing with Zhixia the exciting things that happened on his first day at work:

"The work isn't difficult at all! When there are no customers, I can sit and rest for a while. The master craftsman is very nice. He told me that once I'm more skilled, he'll teach me how to perm hair, and then I'll learn how to shave!"

"Really?" Zhi Xia's eyes lit up; she was genuinely happy for her. "That's great! Once you've learned how, I'll definitely ask you to cut my hair!"

"Of course! Leave it to me!" Wang Chun patted his chest, his face full of anticipation.

The two girls chatted and laughed, their clear voices carrying far in the evening air. Zhi Xia, wearing that red dress, sat on a rock nearby, the evening breeze blowing her skirt and hair, her face beaming with a relaxed and radiant smile, more captivating than the sunset on the horizon.

None of them noticed that Fang Chu, carrying a basin, had also quietly moved to the other side of the pond. He had intended to find a quiet place, but was drawn by that familiar laughter. He immediately saw Zhi Xia, her carefree smile, and her completely relaxed and happy demeanor when she was with her friends.

This smile was completely different from the tearful, hateful girl he remembered.

Fang Chu didn't disturb her, but silently squatted down and mechanically immersed her clothes in the water, her gaze involuntarily following the red, vibrant figure. That inexplicable feeling welled up in her heart again, strange, a little stuffy, and a little...disappointed.

He realized that her world, her happiness, seemed to have nothing to do with him, and even bloomed more brilliantly in places he couldn't see.

He had originally thought that incident would be an insurmountable chasm between the two of them, but now he felt that he was the only one still standing in the same place in that chasm.

After washing the clothes, Wang Chun picked up the basin and pulled Zhi Xia along, ready to go home. Perhaps his legs went numb from squatting for too long, or perhaps the stone slab was too slippery, Wang Chun cried out "Ouch!" and slipped, losing his balance and falling into the shallow water by the pond with a "plop".

"Oh! Xiaochun, are you alright?" Zhixia was startled and quickly reached out to pull her up.

Wang Chun was stunned for a moment, then giggled in the water. With Zhi Xia's help, he stood up, dripping wet, looking both disheveled and funny: "It's okay, it's okay! You scared me, the water is very shallow, just up to my calves."

Zhi Xia looked down at her soaked cloth shoes and trouser legs, and frowned: "Your shoes are all wet. It will be so uncomfortable to wear them back home."

"It's okay," Wang Chun said nonchalantly, shaking the water off his feet. "I'll wash them clean when I get back, and they'll be dry by tomorrow if I let them air dry overnight. Sigh, if only I had a pair of plastic sandals, I wouldn't be afraid of water."

Looking at her soaked shoes, Zhixia suddenly had a bright idea: "How about... I weave you a pair of straw sandals? They'll be cool to wear in the summer, and you won't have to worry about them getting wet."

"You can weave straw sandals?" Wang Chun's eyes widened in surprise, as if he had discovered a new continent.

"Yes, I do," Zhixia nodded, her tone tinged with nostalgia. "When I was a child in my hometown, my grandfather taught me that you can use cattails or corn husks."

"Zhixia, you're amazing! You can do everything!" Wang Chun took her arm, his face full of admiration. "When I'm resting, can you teach me too?"

"Sure, no problem!" Zhixia readily agreed.

Two girls, one soaking wet and the other helping her carry a basin, chatted and laughed as they walked away along the path they had come from. Their clear laughter gradually faded into the twilight.

The pond fell silent for a moment.

Fang Chu straightened up, gazing in the direction the two had disappeared, still clutching the clothes he hadn't had time to wring out, water droplets dripping back into the basin. He had stood there for so long, washing for so long, and they hadn't even noticed his presence the entire time.

Zhi Xia, in particular, kept her gaze fixed on Wang Chun, her eyes filled with concern, a smile, and a clever mind. From beginning to end, she never once glanced at the corner where he was.

She actually...didn't see me.

This realization, colder than the evening pool water, seeped silently into his heart. That feeling of being completely ignored, of being transparent as if he didn't exist at all, made the strange feeling in his heart surge even more clearly and intensely.

The next morning, the residential compound returned to its daytime bustle. Zhilin and Zhang Meili went to work, and the two children ran out with their schoolbags, leaving Zhixia alone at home again.

She got her period in the middle of the night, and a familiar dull pain came from her lower abdomen. She thought she could just bear it as usual, so she curled up in bed and didn't move.

Unexpectedly, this time the situation was far more dangerous than before. The abdominal pain not only did not subside, but it became more and more intense, as if a knife was being churned inside the stomach. The amount of blood gushing from the lower body was also alarmingly large, and the sheets were soaked through in no time.

She felt a chill run through her body, her vision blurred, and her ears were ringing. She didn't even have the strength to call for help before she fainted and lost consciousness.

Just then, before going to work, Wang Chun made a special detour to find Zhixia. She had promised to bring Zhixia steamed buns yesterday and wanted to tell her not to eat too much that night and to save room for her.

"Zhixia? I'm off to work!" Wang Chun pushed open the door and cheerfully muttered, "I'll bring you meat buns tonight..."

Before she could finish speaking, she sensed something was wrong. The room was eerily quiet. Zhi Xia's face was deathly pale, her eyes were tightly closed, and she lay motionless on the bed, the mattress beneath her stained with a glaring dark red stain.

"Zhixia! Zhixia! What's wrong with you?!" Wang Chun's heart jumped into his throat. He rushed to the bedside and shook her violently, his voice trembling.

Xia showed no reaction; only her faint breathing indicated that she was still alive.

Wang Chun was terrified, and the immense fear gave her a surge of strength. She remembered that her sister-in-law, Zhixia, had mentioned that Zhixia hadn't fully recovered yet.

Looking at the shocking amount of blood, a terrible thought flashed through my mind—people will die!

"I'll take you to the infirmary!" Without further hesitation, she gritted her teeth and used all her strength to drag the limp Zhixia off the bed and carry her on her back.

Fortunately, Wang Chunping worked a lot and was stronger than the average girl. Even so, carrying the completely unconscious Zhixia, she felt her legs go weak and every step was extremely heavy.

She dared not delay, staggering out of the room and running wildly toward the infirmary, her steps uneven as she cried out:

"Zhixia! Hang in there! We're almost there! Don't scare me!"

In the early morning, Wang Chun's figure carrying the unconscious Zhi Xia as he ran through the family compound drew astonished glances and cast a heavy shadow over the seemingly peaceful morning.